Botafogo boss calls out board ahead of Flamengo clash in the Carioca

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Coluna do Fla

·13 febbraio 2026

Botafogo boss calls out board ahead of Flamengo clash in the Carioca

What's Happening Behind the Scenes at Botafogo?

Flamengo continues its preparation to face Botafogo this Sunday (15), in the quarterfinals of the Carioca. Opponent of Mengão, the black-and-white team is experiencing a backstage crisis. Not surprisingly, coach Martín Anselmi criticized the management after a 1-0 defeat to Fluminense this Thursday (12).

— Botafogo can no longer sell players. It's simple, simple. Everyone can see what's happening. They can't sell players anymore. I'm not the owner of the club and I don't decide this, but from my point of view, Botafogo can't sell anyone else — he said, before concluding:

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— It's a difficult situation because we have some points we are working on but we need other players because we don't have replacements in some situations. Of course, we need players. The same happens in other positions. We are working day by day and the management is making efforts to bring players because we think alike –, concluded the Botafogo coach.

What's Happening with Botafogo?

Since April 2022, Botafogo has been in a delicate financial situation. This is because, Flamengo's rival faced a transfer ban, a penalty that prevents a club from registering new athletes in competitions, due to non-payment to Atlanta United (USA) for the signing of Thiago Almada.

Thus, to resolve the transfer ban, John Textor managed to secure funding to register the new reinforcements. Now, Botafogo is trying to ease the club's financial situation to repay the loan. Not surprisingly, the team came close to selling Danilo and Montoro, the main names of the team, but withdrew from the negotiation.

What Does Flamengo Think About Botafogo's Situation?

President of Flamengo, Luiz Eduardo Baptista gave an interview to ‘Diario AS’, a Spanish newspaper, and commented on Botafogo's situation. Thus, Bap once again called for greater regulation for SAFs in Brazilian football.

I understand that, for the good of football, SAF is indeed a solution for other clubs. What cannot happen is what we are seeing with a centenary club like Botafogo. You create an SAF, allow someone to buy the club, and it ends up worse than it was. Botafogo owed, I believe, about 100 million euros. Someone buys the club, they become champions of the Brasileirão and the Libertadores in 2024, earn millions, pay no one, and still increase the previous debt. This needs regulation! If someone comes with a lot of money and uses that money only to hire players, without fulfilling any of their obligations, what's the purpose? There was a distortion of the SAF concept. Flamengo is against this type of situation without punishment. There must be sporting punishment, there must be a loss of points. You bought the club with a debt of 80 million, assumed you would fix it, increase the debt to 160 million, pay no one, and suffer no sporting or financial punishment. This is wrong,” said Bap.

When Do Flamengo and Botafogo Face Each Other?

The classic match between Flamengo and Botafogo takes place this Sunday (15), in the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Carioca. In search of a spot in the semifinals, the ball rolls at 5:30 PM (Brasília time), at the Nilton Santos Stadium.

Thus, as tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details about the game between Flamengo and Botafogo, through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Globo (open channel), GE TV (YouTube) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the Carioca match.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.